


A Rookie Mistake

by AbbyRosette



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Battle of the Bands, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 03:52:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1115154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbbyRosette/pseuds/AbbyRosette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the final round of the tenth annual Trost Battle of the Bands. The Jaeger Six had entered the past three years and only now they were the closest they had ever been to victory. </p>
<p>Or should it be said that it was their first entry in the competition? Previously, they had been the Jaeger Seven. This year they lost one vital player: Annie Leonhardt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Rookie Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Gross battle of the bands AU ahead.

"For the last time, Eren! Don’t smash your guitar at the end of our set! We can’t afford to get the neck fixed again!" Jean snapped, tuning his bass with a little too much force. 

"It got us extra points in the last competition!"

"Tell me if those points were worth two hundred dollars. Go ahead." 

Reiner snorted at the comment from behind his drum kit.

Eren threw the extension cord he had been holding to the ground. In a matter of seconds, he had Jean by the collar. “Oh yeah? You wanna—” 

A deafening mic feedback pierced the air and Eren released him to cover his ears. Bertholdt practically jumped out of his skin, the guitar in his lap threatening to slide to the stage floor. 

"Whoops! I’m sorry, guys!" Armin chuckled sheepishly from where he was setting up the sound system. "It was an accident!" 

Of course, Mikasa and Betholdt both had a suspicion that it hadn’t been. 

It was the final round of the tenth annual Trost Battle of the Bands. The Jaeger Six had entered the past three years and only now they were the closest they had ever been to victory. 

Or should it be said that it was their first entry in the competition? Previously, they had been the Jaeger Seven. This year they lost one vital player: Annie Leonhardt. 

It hadn’t been a messy split. She had moved on to university in Stohess. It wasn’t as if they could get angry at her for wanting to continue with music. She was a gifted singer and bassist. Armin couldn’t recall a time when she looked more beautiful than when she was playing music. It was like her skin had an otherworldly glow. There was a light in her eyes that at all other times she tried to hide. 

But when she was playing— 

Bertholdt could feel his heart race as the sultry cadence of her voice echoed in his ears. If she wrote any of her own songs, she never performed them for anyone. Those were his words she sang. 

Well, and Armin’s. 

But tonight, Mikasa would be singing them. While her voice was lovely, both boys could agree that it just wasn’t the same. Bertholdt had penned a new song for the occasion; one that he had imagined in the low smoke of Annie’s voice. The higher clarity of Mikasa’s made the song sound much cleaner than he had intended. He meant to capture a fog, but instead he got a clear night sky. Both were beautiful, but one was unintended. 

It was about this that he fretted. 

His hands slipped as he untangled the cords to his amp, and Armin noticed. They were on in ten, just after a brief intermission that he knew the crowd was using to purchase more booze. He could only hope that they wouldn’t be too drunk to enjoy their set. But those concerns slid to the back burner as he watched Bertholdt’s continued struggle. 

"Mmm…Bertholdt?" With practiced hands, Armin completed his synth setup. He’d played the keyboard all of his life and spent his childhood being ridiculed for it. Only now was it considered a cool pass-time.

"A-armin?" 

"Let’s step outside for a moment. Some fresh air would do us well." The suggestion was punctuated with a smile that he just couldn’t deny. 

Once outside, his sweating seemed to grow worse despite the autumn chill. Armin tugged his jacket tighter around his small frame and leaned back against the building. The eaves were just wide enough to shield them from a thin and steady mist. 

"You know who we’re competing against." 

It wasn’t a question. 

Lips pressed into a thin line, Bertholdt gave a quick nod. 

"Yeah, it’s hard isn’t it? I heard their practice set earlier and it was pretty good." Armin nodded, avoiding saying the name of Annie’s new band. Bad Babez was a fairly solid grunge-pop ensemble despite the very un-Annie name. And though he was happy for Annie—

"That’s not what I’m nervous about…" 

"Huh?" That took him by surprise. "Then what is it? If you don’t mind my asking." 

"That new song I wrote… I—I’m nervous about that." 

Immediately, he came to the defense. “I think it’s one of the most well-constructed songs you’ve written in a long time! The lyrics are solid and the hook is pretty catchy.” 

"Th-that’s not the problem. The problem is who the song is about." 

"Hmm…" The blond chewed at the inside of his cheek, aware that time was running out. "I understand. I’m experiencing similar concerns about one of my own songs." 

Bertholdt couldn’t imagine that he was, but he nodded anyways. 

"How about this: On the count of five, we both say who our song is about?" It wasn’t the most original plan of action, but with the time constraints it would have to do. Bertholdt nodded anxiously. "Okay. One…two…three…four…five." 

"A-annie," 

"Annie," 

O h. 

The two of them froze, still staring each other in the face with wide eyes. How had this happened without them noticing? What were they supposed to do now? Armin kicked himself for not guessing that sooner. He had a feeling Bertholdt had a thing for her, but to not connect that to his new song—

It was a rookie mistake. 

Silently, they both grew pink in the face. One of them would have to break the silence eventually. 

"S-so, Annie, huh?" Bertholdt’s voice rose an octave. 

Armin nodded mutely. 

Now not only was Annie at the risk of recognizing the motivation behind their songs, but they were each other’s romantic competition. Wasn’t there some rule about this in the “bro code” Reiner was always going on about? 

"There you two are!" Eren’s voice seemed to erupt out from the back door as he swung it open. "We’re on in five and we need to do a final sound check! What are you even doing out here?" 

"R-right," Armin nodded, weakly following him inside. Bertholdt’s sweating had only seemed to grow even more intense. It was a good thing for them that Eren’s was so oblivious. Mikasa would have caught on in an instant. 

Armin spoke knowing that Eren could hear, “It’s okay, Bertholdt. Your song is great. Don’t worry about anything.” 

While it sounded like a mundane compliment, Bertholdt knew it meant something much more.


End file.
